Frederick vs Pittsburgh
The short version
- Pittsburgh is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 13% lower than in the Frederick area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $205,800 in Pittsburgh and $401,500 in Frederick.
- Households earn more in Frederick ($97,069 vs $65,742 median).
- Frederick has the warmer winter: January highs of 43°F vs 36°F.
- Pittsburgh gets far more snow: 44 inches a year vs 31.
- Frederick has more scorching days: 36 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 10.
- Frederick is growing faster: +17.8% since 2020 vs +1.5%.
- Commutes are shorter in Pittsburgh (23 vs 30 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Frederick, MD | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 92,059 | 307,632 |
| Growth since 2020 | +17.8% | +1.5% |
| People per square mile | 3,842 | 5,556 |
| Median age | 37.1 | 33.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43% | 49% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $97,069 | $65,742 |
| Median home value | $401,500 | $205,800 |
| Home value to income | 4.1× | 3.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,764 | $1,261 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 108.9 | 94.7 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 151.1 | 72.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $81,700 | $71,000 |
| Homeowners | 59% | 48% |
| Top state income tax | 6.5% | 3.07% |
| Combined sales tax | 6% | 6.34% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 30.0 | 22.7 |
| Work from home | 18% | 22% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 12% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.9% | 6.1% |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 20.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 43° / 27° | 36° / 21° |
| July high / low | 89° / 68° | 83° / 63° |
| Precipitation per year | 44 in | 40 in |
| Snowfall per year | 31 in | 44 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 36 | 10 |
| Nights below freezing | 84 | 114 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 74.2 | 98.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 59% | 43% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.3% | +3.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +29.4% | +36.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Frederick: April to June and October. Pittsburgh: May to October.
Full monthly tables: Frederick weather by month and Pittsburgh weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $81,700 in Frederick and $71,000 in Pittsburgh. Moving from Frederick to Pittsburgh, you would need about $65,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Frederick and Pittsburgh
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Frederick and Pittsburgh.
Which would you pick?
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